20

rules for making

good design
Hugo Barros Costa

Rules
can be broken but never ignored
David Jury typographer and autor

Have a concept.

If there is no message, no story, no idea, no narrative, its not graphic design. It doesnt matter how amazing the thing to look at; without a clear message, its an empty although beautiful, shell.

Communicate . dont decorate.

2
This rule is about how to support the all-important concept. Form carries meaning, no matter how simple or abstract, and form thats not right for a given message will communicate messages that you done intend.

Speak with one visual voice.

3
Make all the parts talk to each otherin the same language. Take a look at everything, from the big picture down to the tiniest detail, and ask yourself: Does everything, relate harmoniously to everything else? Good design assumes that the visual language of the piece its internal logic- is resolved to address all this parts so that they reinforce, restate and reference each other, not only in shape or weight or placement, but conceptually as well. As soon as one element seems out of the place, or just a leftover that hasnt been given any thought , it disconnects from the others, and the message is weakened.

Use 2 typeface families maximum. OK, maybe three.

4
Chose typefaces for specific purposes. In doing that, youll need to define what the purposes are, and youre likely to find that there are only 2 or 3 purposes for txt in a panel. A change in type family usually signals a change in meaning or function-restrain yourself. A single type family with a variety of weights and italics should be enough all by itself. You can present a clearly distinguished range of information employing only changes in size and color.

Use the one two punch!

5
Focus viewers attention on one important thing first, and then lead them though the rest. Once you capture the audience with a big shape, a startling image, or a daring color, steadily decrease the activity of each less important item in a logical way to help them to et through it. Hierarchy If theres no clear focus to start with, youve already lost the battle.

Pick colors on purpose.

6
Dont just grab some colors from out of the air. Know what colors will do when you combine them and, more important, what they might mean to the audience. Colors affects visual hierarchy, the legibility of type and carries an abudance of psychological and emotional meaning. Choose colors that are right, not those that are expected.

If you can do things with less, then do it.

7
This is a riff on an adage left over from Modernism, sometimes known as the less is more theory. Its not so much an aesthetic dogma now as it is a bit of common sense: the more stuff jammed into a given space, the harder it is for the average bear to see what they are supposed to be seeing. Complicated Complex. Harmonic convergence of thoughtfulness and creativity applied to very little.

Negative space is magical create it, dont just fill it up!

8
Its often said that negative space-sometimes called with space (even though there might not be any white around)-is more important than the stuff thats in it. Space calls the attention to content, separates it from unrelated content around it, and gives the eyes a resting place. Negative space = Positive space = visual connection. A lack of negative space overwhelms and confuses the audience, which is likely to get turned off.

Treat the type as image, as though its just as important.

9
Type is a visual material-made up of lines and dots and shapes and textures- that needs to relate compositionally to everything else included in the design.

Type is only type when its friendly.

10
Make it legible, readable or whatever you want to call it. Yes, typography can be expressive. Yes, typography can be manipulated for inventive interconnection of structural elements. Yes, typography can resonate subcultural audience and reference time cultural spirit. But! It must still transmit information.

Be universal; remember that its not about you.

11
Talking to one self is the domain of the fine artist. Being universal is the domain of the designer.

Squish and separate.

12
Create contrast in density and rhythm by pulling some material closer together and pushing other material further apart. Be rhythmic about it. Give the spaces between things a pulse by making some tighter and some looser, unless you want to make something lifeless. Nothing kills a great idea like a dull layout that has no tension. Without contrast youre dead Paul Rand

Distribute light and dark.

13
Dont spread all the tonal range all over the place. Concentrate areas of extreme dark and light in separate spaces. Counter these with subtler transitions between related values. Above all, make distinctions between light and dark noticeable and clear.

Be decisive. Do it on purpose or dont do it at all.

14
Make a thing appear one way or another. Place visual materials with confidence, and make clear decisions about size, arrangement... Decisiveness makes a viewer more likely to believe that the message means what it says.

Measure with your eyes: design is visual.

15
A thing its what it looks like-make it look the way its supposed to look.

Create images dont scavenge.

16
Try to not rely on what already exists. Sometimes a simpler and more meaningful solution is no further away than a couple of dots and lines or a personalized scribble. Plus, you can say, quite proudly, that you did it all yourself.

Ignore fashion. Seriously.

17
Granted, this can be a tricky rule to follow because your job is to communicate to your audience who exists today. These people in the present have particular tastes and expectations about they like their communications to look. But, nobody looks at the Pantheon, and says: Mmmmm, thats like so first century.

Move it! Static equals dull.

18
If a layout is clearly flat and fails to offer a sense of spatial interaction, a state that is relatively easy to achieve, the viewers brain is likely to be uninterested. Static compositions say: Youve figure me outso walk way, nothing to see here.

Look to history, but dont repeat it.

19
Learn from the work of others, but do your one work.

Symmetry is the ultimate evil.

20
Symmetry can limit designers flexibility in pacing and dealing with content .

4
Things you should Not do.
DO NOT COMBINE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONDENSATION.

They change the gray area

DO NOT DO NOR LARGE NOR SHORT TEXT LINES

Round 65 spaces is a good width. Never <35 nor >75 sapces.

DO NOT LET LOOSE WORDS.

You can change the text (if you have done it yourself). Or make text box bigger . You can also retouch the KERNING (LETTER-SPACING)
DO NOT USE IN VERTICAL POSITION HORIZONTAL LETTERS

Because letters are thought to be read in horizontal. If you want to put text in vertical, do as the example. But dont overdo it!

Some steps. 1.
Different enough

Choose the size. 2.

12 to 24 pt. text. Near lecture. Details. Photo references. 36 to 60 pt. Small titles. Leading/important. Medium visualization. 60 to 80 pt. Leading title of the project. Distant identification.

Title
Project xpiy
Iuyjhlksjadfhlaskjfhaslkdfjhasldfkjhsadlfkjhuilqfoi37tfo vit34fiugljs,gfjkhaegfjh<bcshjkjhghkggggkjhgakjqhflkqjwhrkqjehwlkjh lkjhxlwhqjgvlqjehvuxveqkmpoavgkjhgkjhgkjhglljxbxbkkjhgkjgfxhgruytecrr.

Avoid false bold or Italic. 3.

How to use images. 4.

tif. and jpeg. 300ppp. NO internet images. Transparent background. Dont use filters.

Bibliography.

Kern:The portion of a typeface that projects beyond the body or shank of a character. Aqui vai: Interlineado = LEADING ou LINE-SPACING Interletrado = KERNING ou LETTER-SPACING mancha cinzenta = GREY SPACE ou GREY AREA E tambm importante: Mancha branca entre linhas de txt ou caixas de txt = WHITE SPACE Espao vazio entre letras ou palavras = BLANK SPACE Espacejamento entre palavras (olho, que no o mesmo que entre Interletrado) = WORDSPACING Titular = HEADING Maiscula = CAPITAL LETTER Minscula = SMALL LETTER Tamanho de letra = TYPE BODY SIZE